Caffeine consumption is on top of the lifestyle habits that has generated a lot of scrutiny because is common and its marked stimulant effect, depression of appetite and reduction in weight observed in non-pregnant individuals has aroused the need for caution in its use. Studies have produced conflicting results on various outcomes in pregnancy. What is NOT disputed is the fact that caffeine crosses the placenta to get to the baby in significant amounts. There is conclusive evidence that caffeine results in significant reduction in birth weights on newborn. Whether consumption affects the risk for spontaneous abortion is debatable, although there is some strong evidence that the risk for a miscarriage is higher among consumers (at least 100mg per day) in the first three months of pregnancy (First trimester).  

This risk is not uniform because there is a wide difference in the way caffeine is handled in the body among individuals. In some people, it is broken down faster and excreted more easily, so that harmful effects are minimized. The general recommendation is that caffeine consumption be limited to 150mg daily for everyone, especially in the light of the observation that caffeine consumption has been associations in some individuals with difficulties conceiving. 

Alcohol consumption is as old as the history of man. The risk of alcohol consumption in pregnancy is notable. Fetal alcohol syndrome characterized by mental retardation is a serious complication of alcohol intake in pregnancy. The main problem with alcohol is that there is no known safe level of consumption in pregnancy. What has made it even more interesting is the fact that some researchers have noted that with a consumption of less than one drink per week in pregnancy the offspring may still have problems with mental health. 

Cigarette smoking is has a notoriety that is legendary. It is associated with host of problems for both the mother and the fetus such as; miscarriage, premature delivery, intrauterine growth restriction (Poor fetal growth), placental abruption (separation of the placenta before delivery, which invariably leads to fetal exsanguination), sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking cessation during pregnancy reduces these risks and it a project that must be pursued deliberately, conscientious and with a lot of determination.

Exercise is safe exercise during pregnancy and it should be encouraged. Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercises two or three days weekly is not a bad idea. Exercise has been suggested to prevent abnormally elevated blood sugar in pregnancy (gestational diabetes) the subsequent large babies weighing more than 4.0kg (Fetal macrosomia). What you need to avoid are exercises that increase the risk for abdominal impact after three months because at that time the uterus has grown into the abdomen where it is prone to direct trauma. These activities include soccer, hockey, and basketball, as well as sports with a fall risk, such a skiing, rollerblading, and horseback riding.

First of all in layman terms metabolism is the rate your body breaks down and uses the food we ingest into energy for use in the growth, repair, and general function of your body. When there is too much of a deficit between the foods we eat and what our bodies needs to function the metabolism slows; muscle and fat reserves are used. Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in our body, for every pound of muscle a woman loses the number of calories she burns decreases by as many as 50 per day. Fat burns nothing; it just sits there hanging out, literally. Therefore, the amount of lean body mass you have is an important factor in determining the rate at which you burn calories.

We are spending billions of dollars each year on a quick fix solution to our expanding waist lines however the fundamental principles remain the same: don’t do time-wasting exercises or follow non-sense diets that do not contribute to your desired result. The only way too naturally increase your metabolism is through exercise however just three 20-minute strength training sessions per week will help you shed approximately 15 pounds over the course of a year without changing anything else. This works because you do not need huge hulking muscles (which are impossible to naturally get) in order to see the benefits of an increased metabolism. It is also a misconception that you have to spend time in a gym to achieve these results, working your muscles does not have to be a complicated or time consuming endeavor. You can do many types of resistance training exercises in your own home, such as using a balance ball, doing leg lunges, or using hand weights.

It is generally believed that for women a regiment of weight training should involve higher repetitions with light to moderate weight. Higher repetition means 15 to 20 while light to moderate means only light enough to ensure that you are able to keep your proper form and complete range of motion. If you are able to easily achieve this then adding a little more weight would be appropriate.

Last but not least, working out with weights is not only an important weight loss tool but also a bone loss preventive activity. The health benefits from working out are numerous and just the fact that weight training gives your body natural stress relief due to all the endorphins that you are releasing while you are working out, makes it a powerful mental booster as well (who does not like to be happy).

Typically low calorie diets wreak havoc on your metabolism and amount of muscle loss is substantial. For many individuals it is beneficial to use a calorie counter to monitor their calorie intake. One of the biggest problems for women is that they under estimate the number of calories they are actually ingesting during the day. For this reason it has been proven that individuals who document there food intake on a daily basis have a better understanding about what and how much they are actually putting into their mouths.

It does not take a lot of time to become familiar with the nutritional values and the calorie content of foods when you spend a certain amount of time activity seeking the information. There are endless numbers of diet programs out their and everyone claims they have the answers. It is important to not get overwhelmed with an eating plan.

If you can make small changes, focusing on a balance of all your food groups and ensuring that you are getting all of your recommended serving of fruit and vegetables you will be well on your way. The number one problem for most individuals is the lack of fruits and vegetables in their diets. The other important thing to remember is that it is necessary to incorporate lean proteins into your diet because these are necessary for your body to build muscle.

The most important thing to remember is that a combination of exercise and a healthy diet are the key to not only weight loss but ultimately your health. For long term overall health it is necessary to incorporate both into your lifestyle. Neither part of the puzzle should be stressful and does not need to be confusing, make small changes and have fun.

Another way to obtain awesome strength is to vary the angle of your lifts. Altering the position from which you attact the lift can lead to further strenght gains. Chaning the angle of the lift will force your muscles to overcome a different set of forces. Compare a bicep curl with a preacher curl. The latter will be require much more muscular exertion to move the weight, the latter less.

Similarly, altering your grip will affect the portion of the muscle you are working. Likewise, don`t always do wide-grip bench press, experiment and alter the grip, perhaps  even between sets, you`ll be working different portions of your musculature, perhaps even throwing the emphasis of the lift onto a different muscle group.

Split your workout routines

This is the subject of much conjecture and debate in the body building world. You work your arms and back one day, legs and abs another and so on. This should allow: 1) the-non-worked-on body region to be fresh when it`s turn to be worked on and, 2) the body regions being worked on to be really attacked when it`s their turn. Most of us will probably be following the cross-training principles follow: Employing all-over body part resistance workouts with aerobic exercise. However, if you have reached a plateu in your training and you want ultimate strength development, then a training phase of split sessions might not be a bad idea.

And you could employ pyramids or supersetting

Pyramid are designed with either increasing or decreasing  numbers of lifts or increasing or decreasing amounts of weights lifted. Going “down” a pyramid in numbers of reps but increasing the weight lifted should allow for greater quality to remain throughout the session.
Try 8,6,4,2×2 lift at 60,70,80,90% of one rep maximum.
Supersetting, or variants where two opposing muscle group exercises or two similar exercises which work the same or related areas of musculature are employed alternately or in parallel to each other are further ways of wringing out extra strength from your workouts. You could perform leg extentions beforem squatting. You`ll have weakened the quads in the extensions, causing them to have to work harder when you squat. Tricep curls and bench press is a similar combo in the `pre exhaust-post pump` school of supper setting.

Or you could work both prime mover and protagonist muscles in an alternate fashion. When a muscle contracts, an opposing muscles relaxes. In a bicep curl, the bicep is the prime mover and the tricep the protagonist. Leg curl, followed by leg extension is a further example of this opposed muscle group aproach to potential strength gain. This way you`ll also be giving yourself an all-over developmental workout for specific regions of the body, legs, upper arms, torso and so on.

Do three sets of 10 reps per exercise (use 5 to 10-pound dumbbells) twice a week, and always warm up, cool down and strech.

1. Slide Lunge

(Sclupts inner thights and quadriceps). Stand with feet wide apart, holding dumbbells atop shoulders. Lower hips and torso into a full squat and slowly lunge to right side, stacking right knee over right big toe (don`t overshoot toes); hold for two seconds, keeping chin up and shifting body weight onto heels. Come slowly to center; shift body weight to left and repeat to opposite side to complete one repetition.

2. Squat Jump

(Strenghtens entire leg). a) Squat with feet wide apart and slightly turned out. Shift all of your weight onto heels and contract quadriceps and glutes. Clasp hands in front of you, holding one light dumbbell (optional). b) Deepen the squat, then jump into the air using lower body strenght while simultaneously bringin your weighted hands overhead, to add momentum and strech your glutes. (Do not arch your back). When jumping jumping, lock elbows and contract abdominals hard. Land with feet wide apart and knees soft. Repeat the move immediately, shifting into another controlled, full squat.

3. Diagonal lunge with twist

(Tones quadrireps, outer thighs, hamstrings). Holding dumbells at your side, stand in a front-lunge position with left leg bent in front of you at a 90-degree angle. Bend rear leg, keeping toes firmly on the ground. Face straight ahead, chest up, with weight centered over hips. Slowly press hips down until right knee touches the ground (or comes as close as possible). Now push right hip subtly out to the side and back. (The shift in body weight is barely visible, but you will feel it in your right hip and thighs). As you bend, contract abdominals -do not let front knee extend past toes. Come back to center slowly, and repeat. Come back to center slowly, and repeat. Do one set, then switch sides.

4. Modified Dumbbell dead lift
(works hamstrings, calves, glutes). a) Stand with legs together and chest high; contract abs. Hold dumbbells in front of thighs. b) Slowly bend torso forward until it`s parallel to the ground; keep back flat. Strech through backs of legs and calves, focusing weight on heels. Slowly return to the starting position, tucking pelvis forward while tightening thighs.

5. Windmill lunge
(tones entire leg). a) Stand tall with arms overhead and torso turned slightly to the left. Turn left foot out; point right foot, lifting heel; keep right leg straight and slightly in back of body. b) bend left knee to a 90-degree angle while shifting arms down to straddle left thigh, keeping inside edge of right foot touching the ground; hold briefly. Rise to standing position. Do one set; switch sides. (if your legs are strong, add a jump as you shift from one leg to the other).

6. External diagonal lifts
(sculpts outer thighs, hips, quadriceps, glutes). Lie on your left side, supporting head with left hand, abs tight. Bend left knee at a 90-degree angle; put right hand in front of you for balance. Straighten right leg in front of hip, foot flexed, toes pointing down. Lift straight leg higher than hip; hold for two counts. Slowly lower four inches; repeat. Do one set; switch sides.

Here`s the step-by-step strategy in body image.

1. Determine a realistic weight and shape – for you. Instead of striving for physical “perfection,” developing a positive body image demands turning your focus -and your time- to health. This requires taking into account your generic predis-positions, age and amount of time you have to devote to your realistic weight and shape.

Action: Visualize your healthy ideal and in a journal, describe it and write down actions you can take to actualize it. These might include losing 15 pounds, exercising more, learning to rock climb, and eating more vegetables. Then document “facts” about your body -your medical history, height, bone structure- as well as any attributes you recognize, such as clear skin or good biceps.

Next compare your ideal body with your actual body. Note obvious inconsistencies: Perhaps your “ideal” is 110 pounds, but you`re 5 feet 8 inches, with a large bone structure. Obviously, this ideal is unlikely -and unhealthy- for your frame. As you go through both lists of traits, adjust your ideal accordingly.

2. Make a conscious decision to change. You must know where you are starting before you can determine where you are going. Draw two circles, divided pie-style. In the first circle, indicate the percentage of time each week that they devote to taking care of their bodies, not only through physical activies but also with spiritual ones such as meditation, walking or writing poetry that help you stay connected to your world and to you feeling. The second circle is where they ask them to reconfigure that time to meet the goals they are setting.

Action: Draw two circles (as described previously) in your journal. Then focus on the second circle -your goal circle- and be specific: Set aside spesific blocks of time for exercise as well as for the rest and renewal activities you envision in step 1. As you compare the two circles, note where you can make the necessary time adjustments to fit in these essential self-care activities.

1.  Side-lying passe.

lie on your right rise, legs together and extended. Put your left hand on th floor in front of your chest, elbow bent, for support. Extend your arm; rest your head on it. Keep abdominals contracted and pull your rib cage down toward hips. Keep room enough between your waist and the floor so you could slie your hand underneath).

Keeping your hips square, bend your left knee height (passe). Use your abs to stabilize this position, then rotate legs out as you contract your buttocks; the left knee will rotate toward the floor. Next, contract your inner thighs and rotate legs in toward each other so your top knee goes toward the floor and your bottom leg rolls up (don`t let your hips tip forward or back; keep them stacked). Straighten your left leg back to starting position and repeat. Do your reps and then switch sides to do the other leg.

Warm up:
Begin each workout with 5-10 minutes of low-intensity aaerobic exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or stopping on a stair climber. Then lightly strech all your major muscles, including your buttocks, quadriceps, harmstrings, chest, back, shoulders, arms and abdominals. Hold each strech 10 seconds without bouncing.

Cool-down:
Complete your workouts with stretches for all major muscle groups. Hold each strech 20 seconds without bouncing.

Week 1:
Perform 1 set of 12 reps using as much weight as you can handle with good form. Choosing the proper weight may be hit-and-miss at first. Aim for a weight that makes the final repetitions feel quite challening, but not impossible. If the recommended weight are too heavy for you, use common sense and lighten your load.

Week 2:
Add more weight, and perform 10 reps for each move. Depending on the exercise, increase the weight in 2 1/2 – 10-pound increment.

Week 3:
Increase the weight, and perform 8 reps for each exercise.

Week 4:
Increase the weight again, dropping down to 6 repetitions for every move.

Researchers didn`t compute daily totals but suspect the most practical approach to be alternating: doing vigorous exercise one day, moderate the next. The level is much higher than the recommended half hour a day of moderate-intensity activity to promote health and reduce disease, researchers said.

But the results should not be taken as gospel, add John Foreyt, Ph.D., a leading obesity researcher at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. “It`s good study, but it is one study. Many people are able to maintain their body weight with less exercise [than this].” While “physical activity is a must to keep off weight loss,” he says, those who maintain a weight loss often figure out for themselves how much they can eat and how long and hard they must exercise.

Source: Shape mag, 1998

Both strength-training newcomers and veterants may be surprised by the answers. Oh, no one has redesigned the barbell or suggested lifting weights standing on your head. But conventional wisdom has evolved. These days, experts say, we need train more like guys, which means lifting heavier weights and emphasizing free weights over machine. “women are afraind to train like a man” says Bill Ebben, M.S., M.S.S.W., C.S.C.S., head strenght and conditioning coach at Marquette University, Milwaukee.

“There is a fear of becoming massive”. In reality, there is no need to worry about turning into Arnold Schwarzenegger. But women still do. That`s why, Ebben says, they shy away from all-out effort. “Most women are able to lift a lot more than they do”. They also don`t do more challenging exercises using free weights “partly due to lack of experience and familiarity”. According to Ebben, free-weight exercises help you better develop coordination and practical strength for everyday life. (Shape Mag, 1999)

To be continue….